Relativistic classical Monte Carlo simulations of stabilization of hydrogenlike ions in intense laser pulses

Abstract

The relativistic classical dynamics of hydrogenlike ions is investigated numerically in the presence of intense high-frequency laser pulses of intensity well above ${10}^{16}{\mathrm{W}\mathrm{}\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}$ and various pulse lengths up to several hundred cycles. With rising effective charge $Z,$ the stabilized electron dynamics is shown to be increasingly governed by the joint interplay of Coulomb attraction and Lorentz force in the laser-propagation direction, involving also so-called magnetic recollisions. With regard to the ionization behavior, the varying stabilization with increasing Z can be largely described by scaling the angular frequency and electric field strength by ${Z}^{2}$ and ${Z}^{3},$ respectively, however, clear signatures appear also due to the increased role of relativity. For long pulses and slowly entering the relativistic regime, the enhanced adiabaticity of the pulse turn-on has insufficient influence because the breakdown of stabilization due to the Lorentz force will still be stronger due to the dominating role of the necessarily increased interaction time with the superintense laser field.